1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair crimping apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus comprising molding tray with a sinusoidal hair receiving surface and a plurality of clamping rods adapted to clamp the hair in the tray for the purposes of setting multiple waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several sinusoidal tray type curling devices exist in the prior art. Such devices are illustrated in Canadian patent No. 905,794, issued July 25, 1972 to H. Giles et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,798 issued Mar. 29, 1927 to V. J. Mougin, both of which show permanent wave making devices using the concept of the sinusoidal tray and a clamping device. German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 27 53 980, W. Ehmann, laid open June 7, 1979, and 28 35 477, K. P. Ochs, laid open Feb. 21, 1980, show similar devices used for temporarily setting the hair as opposed to permanently setting the hair (commonly referred to as a "permanent").
When individual curling rods are used, the hair is wound starting from the free ends of the hair strands up to the scalp. Since the hair strands starting from the ends is curled over and over on the rod, the diameter increases as one reaches the scalp. Thus, the tightest curls are at the ends of the strands with the bigger curls near the scalp. The longer the hair, the more this is exaggerated. Big and loose hair curls near the scalp reduce the chance of hair retaining any "body" since these large loose curls will quickly flatten out. The sinusoidal tray device of the type mentioned above can be used to crimp small waves near the scalp to provide body. The size of the waves can be determined by selecting a tray having the proper sine pitch rather than by the length of hair.
However, when using a sinusoidal tray of the prior art, particularly the Giles et al and Ochs devices, damage to the hair can be caused when the strands of hair are forced into the valleys simultaneously by the clamping device. The hair strands are forced into the valleys and are thus stretched or otherwise slid forcefully around the clamping surfaces, thus damaging the hair strands. Furthermore, it would still be time consuming to set long hair. In order to avoid an interruption in the wave pattern being set, it would be necessary to set the hair strands in succession rather than all at once with several devices.